Plans for New Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament Unveiled
26 July 2026
Sixteen years after the first major earthquake, Bishop Michael Gielen says there is a sense of joy and anticipation as plans for the new Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament are unveiled.
Bishop Gielen wrote a pastoral letter that was read at Masses across the Diocese on Sunday, marking the official launch of the campaign to build the new Cathedral.
In the letter, the 11th Bishop of Christchurch said the Catholic faithful of today have the “responsibility” and “privilege” of building a Cathedral – something the first bishop carried more than 120 years ago.
“Our Catholic communities have changed in the decades since Bishop Grimes led our Diocese, but our desire for beauty, for welcome and for honouring God has not,” Bishop Gielen said.
During 2024, following periods of public consultation, Bishop Gielen announced that the Cathedral would return to the Diocese’s traditional home on Barbadoes St and that it would retain the name Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament.
In the two years since, significant work has been undertaken to develop the Cathedral’s design, in partnership with architect Warren and Mahoney.
“When I arrived in the Diocese four years ago, one of the questions I was most often asked was, ‘What is happening with the Cathedral?’ That question revealed something profound: the deep love our people have for their Mother Church,” Bishop Gielen said.
“Over these past four years, through listening, prayer and discernment, that shared vision has taken shape. Today, I am proud to say: here is our Mother Church. The vision has become a reality. Now, together, we can bring it to life.”
Bishop Gielen believes people will see in the design “a Cathedral that glorifies God, that serves as a beacon of faith in our city, that responds to the realities of the present day”.
Tony Brazier, who is leading the Cathedral campaign, said a focus on financial prudence and sustainable building, alongside the aspiration for beauty and dignity, saw an $80 million budget emerge for the project.
That will cover the 800-seat Cathedral, the attached Perpetual Adoration chapel and the Te Rangimarie community centre, which can hold 300 people. Landscaping, parking and other external aspects of the project are also included in that budget.
Mr Brazier said about $45 million of the funds needed to build the Cathedral will come from insurance proceeds and the sale of diocesan assets. Of the $35 million required through fundraising, more than $19 million has already been found.
“Bishop Michael is emulating what Bishop Grimes did – inviting every Catholic family to make a sacrificial offering to build our new Cathedral,” he said, noting that each person’s “sacrifice” would be determined by their situation.
Bishop Gielen said he has heard from many people who have a sense of pride that their grandparents or great grandparents helped fund the construction of the original Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament.
“It’s now our turn to answer the ancient call to build something that will last for generations, and about which those who follow us will also say ‘those people were generous, those people were courageous, they trusted in God’,” he said.
Bishop Gielen and many of the priests of the Diocese have committed to making a weekly financial contribution for the next five years. Those will add up to a significant gift.
And while he is encouraging all the Catholic faithful in Canterbury and the West Coast to find ways to offer financial support, enthusiasm and pledges have come from afar.
“I have been struck by the generosity of people who recognise what a sign of hope our Cathedral will be for Christchurch and our region,” he said. “That generosity has been seen around New Zealand and from people of other faith traditions.”
When half of the remaining $16 million to be raised has been found, the Diocese will be ready to move towards final preparations for construction.
“Proceeding in this way ensures financial integrity and demonstrates unified commitment to build the second Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament,” Mr Brazier said.
More information about the new Cathedral project, including the design and ways to financially support, can be found at blessedsacrament.nz.
